Carers allowance wait times

[Fluckinghell]

Is anyone else waiting on a decision for carers allowance? How long have you been waiting?

Does anyone know the wait times atm?

Im only on week 2 so I'm assuming I have a long way to go?

Well I’ve written to my MP also.
worried as I have been paid for some work I did at £153.80 per week. I assumed I’d be taxed on this but wasn’t so it has taken me over the limit for that one week and now I’m worried I won’t get any backdated payment at all since my original claim. Totally gutted and so worried - financially we are really struggling and I took a day’s paid work when offered because I needed the money. I did not think it would affect the entire time period since applying, just that one week.

I still got back pay for 9 weeks then they just closed the claim as soon as I went over and now I’m starting another claim 😤. So I don’t see why you won’t get paid up to the week that your wages went over. But heaven knows why they can’t just suspend it for just that week. Then restart it rather than a whole new claim. Its so maddening.

Yes that’s what I don’t understand. If your in a queue why are some people getting response much quicker than others! That doesn’t seem fair if it’s a ‘wait your turn in the queue system’ as it’s clearly not

@Savblanc1 thank you for that. Argh, it was about three weeks ago I got my pay for that one day’s work. Should I have opened another case also 😂 🫣🥺 as I haven’t been offered any work since. What an absolute nightmare, eh.
the woman I spoke to yesterday was actually quite lovely (not like many I’ve spoken to) and suggested I opened a private pension and paid £6 into it as then I’d still be in allowance. I don’t know why they need earning caps on people - surely it should go by hours?! Or maybe it shouldn’t be anything and recognise how exhausting it is and unpredictable being a carer.

Yes I’ve thought about the pension thing. At least the lady was helpful. And if it’s any consolation as from next April you’ll be able to earn £10000 a year and still be able to claim carers allowance. So that’s a massive jump. Not though until next April unfortunately. Which doesn’t help us now. Can you imagine though how many more people will put claims in!! They can’t cope as it is. It’ll be a year wait or something!!

Hi all sorry to jump on iv just not long got off the phone to carers as iv waited 24 weeks now as I was down as a irregular earner they got my p45 September 12th which was say 7 weeks back they had all my wage slips long before that though the 3 they asked for I left my job the end of august
But yeah same response I get every week I ring up still waiting yet about 4 weeks ago the person I spoke to said anytime soon lol I'm beyond drained with it now the first time round I done this it was dealt with so quick this time 6 months almost no payments nothing just me ringing every week chasing 🙃

Omg. 24 weeks. That’s shocking 😮

I know how frustrating it is! And I’m so sorry you are going through the same waiting period too. They honestly are so quick to notify you of an overpayment due to an increase of earnings lol but when we want to see the process on a current claim, it’s taking donkey years. It is a matter of waiting it sucks that we can’t do anything else about form waiting. Please keep us updated on here, x

I see on here earlier about emailing local Mp iv never thought to do that so iv sent my local mp an email about it today see if it helps or if I even get a response but yep 24 weeks on Monday it's been I will ring Monday morning again aswell il
Thank you I will keep you updated let's just keep fingers crossed and keep patient all can do it is so frustrating x

Can I ask, if anyone has gotten their payment, and then backpay, how long that took after your initial payment/claim was accepted? I got my first payment within about 1-2 weeks after applying, I was already on normal UC, but they said they couldn't give a time frame for back payment, only that they'd sent it through to decision maker, but I don't know how long that could be.
Shocked to see some of the waiting times some of you have experienced, I'm so sorry :(

I’ve been waiting for my back pay since July 1st this year but my usual payments have started! Everytime I have called I’ve been told it’s with a decision maker

I’m so sick of decision makers 🫣😂 they are making life very hard right now. In all seriousness, I know they’ll be swamped, but surely someone must be able to hire new people. I feel like all these times taking calls - j feel like it would be so easy to make a decision there and then. I’m so worried about losing my 30 hour code for my little boy who has already to stay behind a year as there were not school places available for him as the EHCP process took so long. It seems so wildly unfair on a 4 year old!! I’m so angry.

@nadi123 innaively assumed they’d all just come at the same time. Ridiculous.

I applied 31st July. Got back pay into my account 21st October (9 weeks worth) then they closed my claim from 5th October as my wage slip for 30th September was over the allowed amount as I was paid unexpectedly some back pay from my job (which is a one off). So my claim took nearly 12 weeks to get any money.
I have now started a new claim……I’m one week in!……waiting…. Good luck

Hi all literally just got off the phone to be told still with a person waiting to be looked at it's 24 weeks today since iv had any payment from carers allowance it's almost 8 weeks since theyv had my p45 it's so draining the bloke was nice enough he said can't give time scale they all say the same and that he's sorry it's been so long but there more busy than the first time round when I sent in 3 months worth of pay slips it only took 12 weeks for my backpay and now it's taken 24 weeks since then so il just have to keep waiting patiently...well not patiently as it's driving me a bit mad now lol x

Have your payments gone back to normal iv had none since 24 weeks ago so waiting on normal payment to resume backpay of the last 24 weeks iv still not got any joy as of yet x

So basically I’ve been getting my normal pay every Saturday coz it’s due every Monday £81.90 per week! Only waiting on the back pay.

Mines not been reinstated yet so just waiting on the 24 weeks backpay so and then for them to pay me weekly again x

I know it's felt like forever tbh x

A bit of an update. I contacted my MP
last week and today I have a phone call asking me to confirm some details and then I was told I’d get a letter with the decision in the next couple of weeks. We’ll see…

Good luck with your decision hun x keep us updated! I called Carers Allowance today only to be told that a letter was sent out on the 17th October to say I won’t get any backdated payments. I was extremely frustrated as I haven’t received the letter, the only letter I have received a week ago was regarding an overpayment from Feb to March this year! I was so pissed off that they are flipping quick to send letters regarding overpayments but bloody slow as anything to respond to a request made months and months ago for backdated payment! I requested she sends me another letter asap so I can ask for mandatory reconsideration before it goes to the appeals stage! The letter is on its way🤞

@nadi123 why will you get no backdated pay? This is ridiculous - I just don’t understand this system at all and how they’re getting away with it.

@nadi123 and it’s £80 a week for goodness sake - yes it’s going to make a difference but it’s hardly hundreds and hundreds 😡

Apparently the period I was requesting the backdating for , my earnings were high! lol and I went through my wage slips and can’t see an increase for that period, definitely going to be a mandatory reconsideration then an appeal for sure, they aren’t going to withhold money that I’m entitled to!

Have everything crossed for you x